Below are several factors that increase your risk for developing skin cancer. Please keep in mind that whether or not you fall into one of these groups, protecting yourself from sun is still one of very most important factors in preventing skin cancer.

Risk Factors

Moles: A normal mole can become malignant melanoma, so anyone who has a large number of moles is at a greater risk of developing this disease.

Family History: Ten percent of patients with this disease have a close family member who has had it.

Personal History: A person with any skin cancer (Squamous cell carcinoma or Basal cell carcinoma) has a 30 percent increased risk for melanoma.

Weakened Immune System: People who have organ transplants or are on immuno-suppressant medications, persons with AIDS, HIV or other cancers are also at an increased risk for disease.

Skin Color: White skinned individuals are 20 percent more likely to develop melanoma than African Americans. Light colored eyes, hair freckles and people who burn easily are all at a higher risk.

Age: Skin's ability to repair sun damage decreases with age, so people's risk for skin cancer increases as they get older.

UV Radiation: Greater exposure to UV radiation greatly increases an individual's risk for skin cancer. Living close to equator, having an outdoor lifestyle, using tanning booths or sunlamps and experiencing blistering sunburns in childhood are common risk factors for developing melanoma.

Now that you know how to determine if you are at greater risk for developing skin cancer, let's examine physical changes that occur in a mole with melanoma. The most important thing to remember is that when a melanoma is detected at an early stage and treated, it is usually curable.

The ABCD's of Moles and Melanoma